Resilient front buffer



G. A. LYON.

RESILIENT FRONT BUFFER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.16.1920- RENEWED JAN. 26. I922.

mzwm Patented y 25, 1922.

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RESILIENT FRONT BUFFER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jnly 25 1922.

Application filed. January 16, 1920, Serial No. 351,818. Renewed January 26, 1922. Serial Ito. 532,032.;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. (lnonon ALBERT LYON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia. county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania. have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Resilient Front Butlers, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates especially to resilient butlers or butter front members for automobiles or other vehicles in which spring steel or other resilient strip is used for the butler front to secure increased resilient yielding action under collision conditions. the or more strips of spring steel or other suitable material may be used to form the butler frontwhich may comprise end loops formed by bending the strip back upon itself in the same or opposite directions so that such strip ends may be clamped or otherwise connected adjacent the ends of the central impact receiving portion ofthe buffer front. The ends of the strips which form the loops may in some cases be bent to form an inwardly turned loop adjacent each end of the central impact receiving portion of the butter front where all of the spring strips may be clamped together and in this use additional spring yielding action is secured when the attaching members of spring steel strip or other construction are clamped or secured to the end loops. Although the entire butler front may be made of a single piece or strip of such resilient material it may, if desired, be formed of two strips which may in some cases be of generally similar shape and have overlapping portions which may be adjustably or otherwise connected together to form a double thickness reenforced portion at; the central impact receiving part of the buffer front. This type of construction also has practical advantages, since it makes possible a smaller package when the buffer is shipped in disassembled condition. I

The accompanying drawing shows in a somewhat diagrammatic way a number of illustrative embodiments of the invention in plan view.

ln the form of butter shown in Fig. l, the buder front may as indicated comprise a single strip ot tempered spring steel or other suitable resilient material which may. for example, be a quarter to three eighths of an inch thick and one and three-quarters to two and one-quarter inches or so wide and the width of this flat strip may advantageously be arranged \ertically when the butter is secured or appliedto an automobile or othor vehicle so as to give the greatly increased vertical rigidity of the parts which is quite desirable under running conditions. This sprlngstrip :2 may before hardening and tempering have its ends bent around in the sameor opposite directions so as to form end loops 3 and 4 which are preferably inclined rearwardly somewhat as indicated and the ends 5, 6 of this integral spring strip may advantageously be closely secured or clamped. if desired, to the other spring strips which may form the central impact receivmg portion of the butter. lln some cases it is also desirable to incorporate one or more additional reenforcing strips or members, such as 1, which may be applied on the "front or back of the buffer at this point and clamped to the other members as by theenclosing clamping devices 15 1'? which may be tightened on the strips by screwing home the bolts 1-6. These clamping devices may also in some cases be used to ad-justably or otherwise secure to the buffer tronttlie attaching members such as 10, 11, which may be used to secure the buder to an automobile or other vehicle. It is desirable to have these attaching members formed with connector portions such as 7 which may extend substantially parallel to the cooperating connector portions of the buffer front and additional resiliency may be secured in these attaching members by forming them with outwardly or inwardly extending loop portions. such as 8, 9. The other attaching member may have. similar loop portions 12, 13 and the connector portion 14 similarly secured by the clamping device 17 to the other front strips. I

As shown in Fig. 2, the butter front may in some cases be formed of a plurality of similarly shaped spring strip elements which may have overlapping ends or pen tions adjacent the central impact receiving portion of the butter. one of these overlapping strip ends 20 being clamped. if desired, to the other strip end 25 by the two clamping devices 36. 37, that a double thickness reentorced impact receiving memher is thus formed. Loop ends may be formed on the bufier by bending the strip ends so as to form the end loops 2t, 29 and also, if desired, the inwardly ill till

loops 23, 27 on the rear portions of these looped ends, so that the strip ends 24, 39 and Q6, 38 may be brought out substantially in line after passing through the clamping devices, although it is of course understood that such strip ends may be otherwise clamped or permanently secured together in any suitable way where lateral adjustment of the buffer front is not thought necessary. By using such. enclosing clamping devices as above described the buffer strips may be adjustably connected together so that the width of the buffer front may be adjusted to suit different automobiles or other vehicles and the front elements may of course be disconnected for packing and shipping which is an additional advantage. Any suitable form of attaching members may be used with a buffer front of this general character and as indicated the attaching members 32, may be formed of resilient or spring steel strip and may have the outwardly curved portions 31, 34. so that the connector portions 30, 33 come substantially into line with the adjacent connector portions of the end loops to which they may be secured as by the enclosing clamping devices 38. 39.

Fig. 3 shows a generally, similar form of buffer front which may comprise an integral strip, such as 46, formed on each end with bent portions or end loops 45. 48 which may have rearwardly inclined front portions 47 to which the rear portions 44. 49' may be substantially parallel. Similar inwardly turned inner loops 43, 50 may be used in' this instance also, so that the strip ends 42, 51 are outwardly directed in this case-and are substantially parallel to the adjacent front portions of the strips. If desired an I additional reenforcing member or resilient strip 41 may be used at the central impact 7 receiving portion of the buffer front and may be secured to the other strips or members in any suitable way as by suitable clamping devices 52, 53, thus making a buffer front which has a pleasing appearance. Similar attaching members 58, 61 may be used in this case and may haveoutwardly curved yielding portions 57, 60 and connector endportions 56, 59 secured as by the clips 54, 55 to the cooperating portions of the buffer front. I

Fig. 4 shows another illustrative type of construction in which the buffer front is generally similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and also comprises a onepiece resilient front strip 62 which may have the integral end loops 63, 71, so that the strip ends 64, 70 may be brought inward in substantially parallel position. One or more interposed reenforcing members 65 may be used at the central impact receiving portion of the buffer and may, if desired, be interposed between the strip ends and the cooperating similar appearance which may be composed of two front strips 32, 86 of generally similar shape, each of which may be formed with an integral end loop. such 83, 37. By overlapping the relatively straight or similarly curved ends of these resilient strips a double thickness or reenforced portion of the buffer may be formed and it is sometimes desirable to have the front strips bentback upon themselves in opposite directions to form these end loops. so that the strip ends 84, 88 are on opposite sides of the central orimpact receiving portion of the buffer front. Similar attaching members, such as 93, 97, may be used in this case and may be formed with connector portions 90, 94 adjustably connected to the other strips or members as by the clamping devices 98. 99 so as to secure adjustment between the attaching members and enable them as in the other cases to fit automobiles having frame members at diil'elent distances apart. If. desired also the attaching members may be formed with outwardly curved yielding portions, such as 91, 92, 95, 96. to give'increased resilient yielding under collision conditions.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments, forms, proportions, parts, arrangements, materials, methods of connection and use. to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set fortlrin the appended claims.

claim- 1. The automobile bufi 'er comprising a resilient buffer front formed of tempered spring steel strip having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and comprising a reenforced central. impact respring steel strip having considerably greater vertical Width than thickness and comprising a. reenforced central impact receiving portion and end loop portions formed by bending such spring strip back upon itself and securing the ends of such spring strip close to the strip forming the ends of said central impact receiving portion and attaching members cooperating with said end loops and connected to said butl'er front.

3. The automobile buffer comprising a resilient buffer front formed of steel strip having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and comprising a reenforced closely spaced multiple thickness central impact receiving portion and end loop'portions formed by bending such spring strip back upon itself in opposite directions and securing the ends of such spring strip adjacent the ends of said central impact receiving portion and attaching members cooperating with said end loops and adjustably connected to said bufi'er front.

4.. The automobile buffer comprising a resilient buffer front formed of steel strip having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and comprising a reent'orced multiple thickness central impact receiving portion and end loop portions formed by bending such strip back upon itself and securing the. ends of such strip adjacent the ends of said central impact receiving portion and attaching members cooperating with said end loops and adjustably connected to said butter front.

5. The automobile buffer comprising a resilient buffer front formed of a singlestrip of tempered spring steel having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops adapted to extend into protective position adjacent the vehicle wheels and a central reenforced impact receiving portion comprising a spring strip integral with the strip forming said end loops and additional spring strip reenforcing members, and clamping devices enclosing and holding rigidly together said spring strips adjacent the ends of said central impact receiving portion, and attaching members adjustably engaging said clamping devices to support the buffer front from the frame of the vehicle.

6. The automobile bufi'er comprising a resilient buffer front formed of strip having considerably greater vertical Width than thickness and comprising end loops adapted to extend into protective position adjacent the vehicle wheels and a central reenforced impact receiving portion comprising a strip integral with the strip forming said end loops and additional spring strip reenforcing members. and devices holding closely and rigidly together said strips adjacent the ends of said central impact receiving portion, and attaching members to support the bu fer front from the frame of the vehicle.

7. The automobile bufi'er front comprising asingle strip of tempered spring steel having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and having end loops and a central reenforced impact receiving portion comprising a spring strip integral with the strip forming said end loops, and additional spring strip reenforcing' members and clamping devices enclosing and holding rigidly together said spring strip adjacent the ends of said central impact receiving portion.

8. The automobile bufi'er front compris ing a single strip of steel having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and having end loops and a central reenforced impact receiving portion comprising a number 'of thicknesses of such strip connected to the strip forming said end loops, and clamping devices enclosing and holding closely and rigidly together said strip.

9. The automobile bufl'er front formed of steel strip having considerably greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops adapted to extend into protective position adjacent theavehicle wheels and a central reenforced impact receiving portion comprising a number of substantially contacting thicknesses of such strip connected to the strip forming said end loops and enclosing clamping devices holding said strips together.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

